Polyphosphates are used to inhibit and prevent scale and deposit formation in aqueous systems, mainly because they are effective in substoichiometric or threshold quantities, and they are relatively inexpensive. Their proclivity to hydrolyze somewhat unpredictably has initiated their substitution by phosphonic acids and other polyelectrolytes which are stable in aqueous solutions. It is also known that substoichiometric quantities of polyacrylic acid and polymethacrylic acid (hereinafter together referred to as "poly(meth)acrylic acid") inhibit scale formation in aqueous systems. At the present time it is also known that mixtures of carboxylic polymers having a molecular weight of from 1000 to 15,000,000 and aminopoly(methylenephosphonic acid) (British Pat. No. 1,208,827); and, mixtures of lower carboxylic acids such as maleic acid and other organophosphonic acids (British Pat. No. 1,258,067) are useful to inhibit the deposition of scale. These compositions require relatively small quantities of the water-soluble polycarboxylic acid or a derivative thereof. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,469 teaches that cyclohexane -1,2,3,4,5-pentacarboxylic acid is a scale and deposit suppression agent, particularly in the presence of certain organophosphonic acids. Improved compositions for these uses are desired.